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When Things Seem Hopeless And That Nothing Will Ever Change, You Need To Prepare For The Next Window Of Opportunity
In 2012, two young activists in Kyiv, Vitalii Shabunin and Dasia Kaleniuk, set up the Anti-Corruption Action Center with a bold mission: to expose and tackle corruption in Ukraine. Their strategy was simple but powerful: investigate corruption, publicly “name and shame” those responsible, and work with international NGOs to advocate for specific reforms.
To most people at the time, their work seemed hopelessly naive. The Yanukovych regime, was not only hopelessly corrupt, but deeply cynical. Yanukovych himself was a convicted felon, serving two prison sentences in his youth for violent crimes. The rest of his administration followed suit, freely exploiting power for personal gain.
I was living in Ukraine when Yanukovych was elected and I remember how a helpless feeling loomed over the country. Yet, as it would turn out, Vitalii and Dasia’s work was not naive, but incredibly important. Later, Vitalii shared with me a crucial insight: In dark times, the key to making a difference is to keep preparing for the next window of opportunity.
